I just can't quit you.

I have been trying to quit stealing the hubby's Pepsi out of the fridge for, oh, probably about three years now, and it's a losing battle.  I've had short victories, but inevitably the siren song of that sweet, fizzy goodness lures me back and I find myself drifting back to the fridge for the occasional can.

However, a few tactics have given me some small measure of success, and I thought I would share them with you, in case any of you are fighting this same (losing) battle.

• Coffee.  Oh, sweet nectar of the gods, how you awaken me so abruptly in the morning.  Obviously, if you're trying to quit caffeine all together, this won't be much help.  But for those of us who need that early-morning jolt to recover our gross motor function, this is a life-saver.
• Perrier with lime.  It's cold, it's fizzy, and it has just a hint of fruit flavor.  It's pricey, but if you desperately need the bubbles, this is a reasonable substitute.  I find it tastes sort of like Sprite.  Sort of.
• Water with lemon.  At first, I bought lemons.  Then I realized the little squeezy plastic lemons at the grocery store also contain lemon juice, are cheaper, and don't require cutting and seed removal, and thus my life was made much, much easier.  No fizz, obviously, but it does have that acidic bite I crave that plain old tap water is lacking.

I know, none of these are the same as drinking soda.  I understand.  Truly, I do.  But they can help take the edge off.  And if you drink diet soda, I can't urge you strongly enough to quit.  Aspartame is horrible for your body.  I used to drink it like air, and didn't understand why I felt like I was on death's doorstep all day long.  Then I quit, and three days of soul-crushing headaches later, I was a new person.

Good luck.